Home Retail in focus as spring has sprung

As we bask in near Mediterranean temperatures and gaze at hosts of golden daffodils across London's parks it is easy to forget that this time last year we were shivering through the coldest March for 50 years.

Snow covered much of the country for most of the month and the last thing anyone thought about doing was spot of gardening. John Lewis sold artificial daffodils for the first time in history and the real ones were changing hands in the wholesale markets of Holland for almost twice their normal price.

Traditionally the British gardening season does not start until the Easter weekend. But here we are not even a full week into Lent and the garden centres and DIY sheds which sell plants were doing a roaring trade last Saturday and Sunday.

So keep and eye on Home Retail Group, owner of Homebase’s, year end update on Thursday. It is the redoubtable Terry Duddy’s swansong and he will no doubt entertain with his usual details of how many England-shirted garden gnomes the chain expects to sell ahead of the World Cup. But he will also highlight that not only has Spring sprung a good five weeks early this year but also that it is up against some absolutely dreadful comparative trading last year.

The same will be true for B&Q owner Kingfisher which reports in a fortnight and most probably for the PubCos who opened their beer gardens last week.